Nice job Marlene! (Mark’s MIL-and Erika’s mom) has been sending me the photos of the cookie baking and today all the sisters got together and “trayed” the cookies. I had never “tray” in a verb form until I lived in Pittsburgh.

Marlene is Godmother of the Bride.

If you’ve been following the blog this week, you’ve watched the progress and everyone pitching in to help.

Here is what they did today and took them to the hall. The hall where the wedding reception will be held tomorrow June 7th.

The Alphabet Stamp cookies are from that well known kitchenware store but I see alphabet letters are available in other locations online so no commercial plug.

We used them at Laura and James wedding and also for Jaclyn and Mike’s wedding. It is fun to change the little letters to spell out their names. (Well, not that much fun, they are tiny.) But so satisfying to have them as part of the cookie table display.

Thanks Marlene for the photos for today’s post about the cookie baking this week in preparation for the big day….

I added the last one of the biscotti I baked after school yesterday. Will bring it to the wedding tomorrow. xxoo Ruthie

Okay first things first. Cookie Table preparations are in full swing as you know. The pignoli/almond paste cookies are baked and are they ever tasty. There weren’t any real rejects so a fully formed cookie had to be eaten! And the Split Second cookies with Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves and Schwartau Raspberry Jam inside. I overbaked a batch of those last night so baked a do-over today! The baking is complete. Three friends brought up cookies tonight.Another friend made her grandmother’s fudge. Pittsburghers bake their hearts out at wedding time!

and now for something completely different…………….

Scroll down for the photos of Local Man Discovering a New Use for the Plastic Newspaper SleeveIn addition to the usual canine clean up capture, my neighbor showed me a new use for the plastic sleeve that covers his newspaper. You know the slim bags, sometimes a color like green or pink or blue, that thing that keeps your morning paper dry! Well, how about protecting your tie?

His demonstration of an alternate use for the plastic sleeve made me laugh out loud. And if you want to learn all about how he and his dog were featured testing the Thundershirt and were interviewed by local TV channel(seriously, if you are a dog owner you might need one of these if your dog is afraid of thunderstorms) The little video clip is here.

And being a great neighbor and friend he picked up Matthew from the MEGABUS this afternoon when I was still at school. When I went to get Matthew, I interrupted a Ukelele impromptu lesson on the 12 fret blues or something close to that.

Tonight Mark and Erika are at a wedding and I am thinking about the cookie table. Wondering if they packed a container and brought home some cookies. (Probably not since they are doing the PX90 workout these days.)

There was a big article in theNew York Times in Dec 2009. Several theories as to the origin of the tradition. The wedding reception featured in the article took place at the Le Mont where Mark and Erika had their reception, too. The cookie tables shown today on the blog are from a May 2009 wedding of my friend Donna’s son John and his lovely bride Angie. They had multiple cookie tables and the cookies were delicious. Everyone must have baked their hearts out for this wedding! Dozens and dozens of cookies. Everyone has a favorite type cookie and I have seen wedding guests scarf down a dozen or so lady locks BEFORE dinner is served.

Anyone know about the unwritten rules of cookie tables as written about in the Chowhound article??